March 2026

Inkdown

Inkdown is a markdown editor and sharing platform with live preview, folder organization, GFM support, private-by-default docs, and one-click sharing.

Live project

Overview

Inkdown is a markdown editor with live preview, nested folder organization, and public sharing. Documents are private by default with one-click publishing via shareable links.

Built with Next.js, Neon, Drizzle ORM, Better Auth, and Cloudflare R2. Editor uses a custom markdown parser with GFM support (tables, task lists, code blocks, strikethrough). Real-time preview syncs with editor scroll position for large documents.

How It Was Built

The main technical choices behind the product, from system design to the parts that make it work day to day.

Implemented nested folder structure with recursive CTEs in PostgreSQL via Drizzle ORM, drag-and-drop reordering via React DnD, and breadcrumb navigation.
Built custom markdown editor with syntax highlighting (Prism.js), auto-save (debounced 500ms), and keyboard shortcuts for common formatting.

Implemented nested folder structure with recursive CTEs in PostgreSQL via Drizzle ORM, drag-and-drop reordering via React DnD, and breadcrumb navigation.
Built custom markdown editor with syntax highlighting (Prism.js), auto-save (debounced 500ms), and keyboard shortcuts for common formatting.
Live preview with scroll sync: editor position maps to preview position using line number tracking and smooth scrolling.
Public sharing generates unique UUIDs with access tracking (view count, last viewed) while keeping documents private by default.
Migrated from Supabase to self-hosted stack: Neon (serverless Postgres), Better Auth, Cloudflare R2 for markdown content storage, and Resend for transactional emails.

Impact

Replaced flat document lists with a folder hierarchy, making it easier to organize larger knowledge bases and documentation sets.
Keeps long documents readable by syncing the editor position with the rendered preview instead of forcing users to jump between views.

Replaced flat document lists with a folder hierarchy, making it easier to organize larger knowledge bases and documentation sets.
Keeps long documents readable by syncing the editor position with the rendered preview instead of forcing users to jump between views.
Private-by-default documents can be published with a single click, supporting both personal notes and public docs in the same workspace.